Rowen Spitz is the Founder and Executive Director of the Angel Aura Project, a national youth-led nonprofit dedicated to combating discrimination and harassment through testimonial theater and open dialogue. After witnessing the impact of victim storytelling during a U.S. Senate hearing and interning with Lift Our Voices, a workplace justice nonprofit, Rowen recognized that stories have the power to educate and protect. She launched the Angel Aura Project to bring real-world victim testimony—drawn from court records and depositions—into high school classrooms across the country. With over 34 survivor stories collected and partnerships with 33 schools already established, the initiative is building a national movement rooted in empathy, education, and youth leadership.
About Our Founder
Rowen’s journey to founding the Angel Aura Project is deeply personal. As a Jewish student who faced antisemitism at school, she experienced firsthand the pain of being silenced and marginalized. Her great-grandmother survived the Holocaust, and the intergenerational echo of “Ren. Blijf rennen”—run, keep running—became a haunting refrain when Rowen found herself the target of hate. But through strength, support, and storytelling, she chose to stand, not run. Inspired by her family's legacy and the victims she met through her advocacy work, Rowen built the Angel Aura Project to ensure that no one else has to face discrimination alone or in silence.
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​A junior at Hawken School in Ohio, Rowen is an accomplished student, community leader, and advocate. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, was selected as one of just 20 students nationwide to participate in the Penn-STARTALK program in 2025, and received the Upstander Certificate of Excellence from the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Her leadership extends beyond the Angel Aura Project—she serves as Treasurer of the Northeast Ohio GlamourGals Foundation and has raised thousands for philanthropic causes. Above all, Rowen believes in the power of young people to change the world through courage, compassion, and conversation.